I Believe You

Chapter Three

Sal awakes to the clanging noise of the door unlocking and opening to the solitary room. Before he flips around he quickly puts his mask on before the person can get through the door. “Sally?” The soft voice and innocent voice makes him wince. He turns around and meets a nurse’s smile. She then pushes in a cart with little cups and one white bottle. Sal assumes the bottle the could be solution for his glass eye. “How are you doing?” Her voice seems so warming to him, but he knows that she is just like the other nurses in the facility. “I have your medication and stuff for you glass eye.” Sal nods and grabs the meds, but before he can take them the demon quickly crawls back into him. “No-!” He grunts and falls to the ground. The nurse panics and falls with him. The medicine falls everywhere, the pills bouncing throughout the room. Sal wants to scream “run” to the nurse, but he sure as hell knows he can’t. Sal kicks her unconscious. Something is different though; the demon came so late. Sal can get a scream out from his own mouth. The manly yell echoes through the hallways.

The room right beside the open door to the solitary rooms is a home to the brown eyes. He peeks outside of the little slit of a window each door had. His long hair is pulled up into a bun. His brown eyes look down toward the door. He wonders if that’s the blue-haired man. Sudden footsteps echo down the other end of the hallway. He follows the other nurses running behind Legion, the keeper of this hell. He listens to some of the conversation between the groups of nurses.

“He’s hurting another nurse.”

“I can’t believe he killed Rick.”

“Yeah, choked him to death, I heard.”

“Would you all shut your mouths?!”

Sal is back to himself again. He gets up and helps the nurse up, “I’m so sorry. I can’t control it.”  The nurse pulls away from him, gripping onto her gut. Remorse crawls into the masked man’s gut as she walks out and Legion walks in. “What did you do this time?” Before Sal can answer the nurse speaks up, “I slipped on the way in. I fell and hit the cart. My gut hurts the most. Sal didn’t do anything.” Sal’s heart nearly explodes. Someone believes me! She’s the first person! Sal wishes she could see the small smile under his mask. Crystal slowly nods at the nurse. She gestures for her to go get rest, “Here, take your meds and stuff for your eye. I’ll show you to your room and then you can go into the game room.” Sal obeys; soon after the other nurses are told to leave he takes his two different medications, which he had no idea what it was going to do to him. Maybe they’ll help him with the demon. Sal grabs the eye solution. He lifts his mask a little bit, but stops before his chin, “Would you mind turning around?”

“No. Sorry.” She obeys and watches all the other patients make their way to the game room. She sees only a few of them pass the door to this area. There is four solitary rooms in the hospital. Sal was in the first one currently. The sound of a metal clank makes Crystal turn around. Sal has merely put the solution back. She smiles and gestures for him to follow her.

“Room 12 is yours. There is 12 rooms on each side of the hospital; 12 on the women’s side and 12 on the men’s.” After her explanation, Legion gestures to the room, “Welcome. Now, let’s go to the game room.”

“What exactly is the game room?” Sal questions as he and Crystal walk toward double doors. Crystal talks with her hands, “Well, it’s a room for socializing. There’s a jukebox in there. A few arcade games. There’s a few board games as well. And there’s an area to lounge around and chat.” She pushes the door open, and some people turn to face Sal. The people not staring were the one’s twitching and messing with their hair, or their hands. After a good stare, the other patients go back to their own business. Legion leaves Sal to his fellow “cell” mates. Sal sighs and wanders over to the jukebox. He looks at the choice of music he has to pick from. It’s more 80s love ballads, some punk, a few country songs and a few other songs he couldn’t tell the genre to. As his searching a man approaches the jukebox. Sal doesn’t notice at first, but he jumps when greets a very tall man with… brown eyes! “Oh jeesh! I’m sorry little guy!” The man with the bun offers a hand. Sal hesitates, but he grabs on. The man yanks him up. “Aren’t you a little jumpy?!” He jokes around with the masked-man. “Well, yeah. Sorry. You scared me. I’m honestly… a little scared of this place. I’m scared of myself.” Sal has never been this honest with someone before and so soon. They were merely acquaintances he didn’t even know this guy’s name yet. As if he read his mind, the taller man sticks out his hand again, “I’m Larry by the way.” Sal grabs his hand. During the hand shake he notices the scars running up the guy’s arms. He frowns, but Larry can’t see him anyway. “I’m Sal.”

“Welp, it’s damn good to meet you Sal.” Larry smiles and quickly turns his attention to the jukebox. Some of his hair hangs on the side in front of his ears. His statement might turn around real quick. No one ever survives around me… “What’s your type?” For some reason this question makes Sal’s face warm. “Hmm? Oh! Music. Well, I haven’t listened to music in a very long time. I don’t even know what I like anymore.” Larry frowns and raises a brow, “I betcha I could find something you’d like.” Sal sighs, wishing that he had control over that damn demon. Where was it anyway? I’m getting close to someone, shouldn’t I be stabbing him by now? Oh my God, are the meds working? “Here!” Larry’s voice scares Sal out of his thoughts. The song starts slow and soft with an electric guitar. “Lightning Crashes by Live,” Larry announces and slightly head bangs as he plops down on the couch. Sal follows his instincts and follows Larry over to the couch. He sits beside him. When he plops down his hair flies into his face. “Here, I’ve got something for that.” He takes off a rubber band from his wrist. “Yo, turn around.” Sal slowly obeys and winces at first when Larry touches his hair. He pulls it all together and holds it up high, “Bun or ponytail?” He asks before putting in the band. “Wait, shit, never mind. I’ve got another rubber band. Watch my magic, man.” Sal can feel Larry’s nails parting his hair in the back. Larry finally finishes the second pigtail. Larry gestures for Sal to follow him. He brings him to a blocked off window with iron bars. Even with the bars anyone could look at the outside world. Sal takes in the pigtails. He smiles, but Larry can’t see it. He turns around, “I love them! I was smiling, but you couldn’t see it!” Sal laughs; genuinely! “Thanks, Larry.” Larry crosses his arms with a smug look on his face. Sal shakes his head, his blue pigtails move with him. Larry quietly snickers at his new friend. “What are you laughing at?” Sal questions the taller man. He shakes his head, but then answers him, “I think I got a new name for you.”

“Yeah?” A little anxiety rises in Sal, afraid that his new friend is about to make fun of him.

“Sally Face.” Larry states, and to be honest, Sal didn’t hate it. It made him feel special; to have a nickname from a friend. This relationship feels too good to be true. Something is going to happen to Larry. Something terrible and it’s going to be my fault… well, the damn demon’s fault. Sal shakes off the dark thoughts for now and enjoys his time with Larry. “So, how do you like Live?”

“I love that song. It’s so calming…” the boys continue discussing and learning new things about each other. They sit and chat for almost the whole day. When the sun set the boys were warned to go back to their rooms for a head count. They walk together back to their rooms. “Well, see you around Sally Face,” Larry stops at his room and waits for his friend to walk off to his, but Sal walks right across the hallway from him. He laughs and crosses his arms once again, “Damn, what are the odds?” They both laugh and chat until the nurse comes around to check them off and send them into their rooms. “Night Larry.”

“G’night Sally Face.” The doors shut and both men fall into bed with smiling faces.